Rieko Kodama, the pioneer of Sega classics such as Phantasy Star and The Sky of Arcadia, has passed away. she was 59 years old.
Rumors began after a memorial message to Kodama was spotted in the credits of the Mega Drive Mini 2. It was asked if the message was really meant to show that Kodama had passed away.
Finally, the staff credits include a memorial message to Rieko Kodama. She started out as an artist on games like her Alex Kidd In Miracle World, Phantasy Star, Sonic The Hedgehog, Skies Of Arcadia, 7th Dragon, and most recently she was a producer on the Switch Sega Ages games. pic.twitter.com/v6xk8oUNYO
— Nick Thorpe (@HKT3030) October 26, 2022
“You understand,” Okunari wrote. “We respected her.”
Sega has since confirmed that Kodama died in May, but was unable to share further details out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Game Industry Pioneer
Known as Phoenix Rie in his early work, Kodama entered the games industry in the mid-1980s, where he worked as a graphic designer, then a producer and director. While her credits include Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and The Sky of Arcadia, she is best known for her work as one of the creative leads on the Phantasy Star series, and is best known for her Phantasy Star series. I am the director of IV.
Praised as a pioneer in a male-dominated industry, Kodama famously hated the spotlight when he won the Pioneer Award at the Game Developer’s Choice Awards.
That’s right as you understand. We respected her.
— Yosuke Okunari / Yosuke Okunari (@okunari) October 27, 2022
“I don’t know if it’s Sega’s corporate culture or what, but I’ve never felt disadvantaged because I’m a woman. I’ve been involved in various jobs related to game development for a long time. It’s been 30 years since I joined Sega. I have never been discriminated against by men.” in an interview.
in another interviewshe believes it’s not all that uncommon for women to play games, observing that girls are often drawn to RPGs. Sea Star stood out because it was one of the few games with a female protagonist.
“Being a woman myself, when I make games, I try not to just be male fantasy characters, like people in need of rescue. But we’ve seen more and more strong-willed women in games aimed at female audiences,” Kodama said at the time.
Kodama remained active in the games industry well into the 2010s, continuing to work on games such as 7th Dragon and Sega Ages. She left her legacy as one of the most important female developers in gaming history, and her 35-year career in the industry has been an inspiration for many women to follow. It is
Thumbnail photo credit: Game Developers Conference
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Senior News Editor and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Any tips? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
